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The long-lasting search and debate around the size and identity of the World's smallest free-living insect seems to have now been ended with the precise measurement and second record of the featherwing beetle species.

Described back in 1999 based on only several specimens found, as many as 85 individuals of the minute beetle species have recently been retrieved and thoroughly examined. The smallest of them measured the astounding 0.325 mm. The finding made by Dr. Alexey Polilov, Lomonosov.

The World's smallest beetle and tiniest non-parasitoid insect, called Scydosella musawasensis, is morphologically characterised by its elongated oval body, yellowish-brown colouration and antennae split into 10 segments. It is also the only representative of this featherwing beetle genus.

A new study from Yale University has concluded that brain activity is as unique as a fingerprint. The researchers see much potential in the technology, while others fear the onset of a brave new world, RT Reported.

“The patterns were different enough that we were able to pick people out of a crowd regardless of what people were doing,” study co-author and neuroscience doctorate student Emily Finn told NBC News.

Several recent studies have already revealed that ravens are among the most intelligent species of birds and even species in general. The cognitive biologists now add cooperation the ravens' already impressive resume.

"From the wild, it was already known that ravens are able to cooperate when, for example, mobbing predators.

But using an experimental set-up working with captive ravens now allowed us to investigate, how exactly they do so," says lead-author.

In the experiment two ravens had to simultaneously pull the two ends of one rope to slide a platform with two pieces of cheese into reach. If, however, only one individual would pull, the rope would slip through the loops on the platform and the birds were left with the rope and without cheese. Without any training the ravens spontaneously solved this task and cooperated successfully.